I want to start by saying that Bound by Insanity is genuinely beautiful. The artwork is gorgeous, the atmosphere is really well done, and I was genuinely interested in the story. Unfortunately, I couldn't finish the game or enjoy it as much as I wanted to because of how little agency the MC has over some of her major decisions.
The biggest example for me was the situation with Miles and Adrien. Miles is the MC's childhood best friend, and when she is worried about being a burden, he explicitly reassures her that she isn't a burden and that he is willing to help her. Yet instead of staying with someone she has known for years and trusts, she ends up accepting an offer to live with Adrien, a classmate she has only known for a very short amount of time.
I completely understand that the story needs to bring the MC and Adrien closer together, especially given the direction of the romance, but as a player, I found the decision incredibly difficult to accept. Personally, some players would never choose to live with someone they had just met over their childhood best friend who had already offered me a safe place to stay. The MC saying she doesn't want to be a burden to Miles, only to accept help from someone she barely knows, made the decision feel even more contradictory to me. (I think the MC can still be codependent and emotionally vulnerable without necessarily coming across as lacking common sense, and I feel like finding that balance could make her character feel even more believable.)
This is where I really wish the game gave the player more meaningful choices. If the goal is to have two yanderes competing for the MC, I think it would be much more engaging to let the player decide which dynamic they actually want. For example, the player could choose to stay with Miles, accept Adrien's offer, or try to find their own place. That would allow different players to approach the situation according to their own comfort level and personality.
I know not every visual novel needs branching routes, and I respect that the developer may have a specific story they want to tell. However, when the protagonist is presented as the player character, having her make major decisions that the player has no control over can make it difficult to feel immersed in the story.
In my case, this became frustrating enough that I ultimately deleted the game before finishing it. That's genuinely unfortunate because I really liked the artwork, atmosphere, and storytelling. I think the game has a lot of potential, and giving the player more agency in situations like this could make the experience much more enjoyable.
Again, I really love the art and the overall presentation of the game. It’s absolutely stunning, and I genuinely wouldn’t mind giving it another shot in the future if there are more meaningful choices added. I think having more player agency could make an already beautiful game even more enjoyable and immersive.
(Cloudfare wasn't showing up eughh)